The invention relates to a device for the identification of vehicle and equipment features having at least one electronic memory of the EEPROM type in which digital data which can be allocated unambiguously to the vehicle and equipment features can be stored in a non-volatile manner. The memory is accommodated at a central point, fixed to the vehicle.
The factory-configuration of vehicles and their special equipment, especially with respect to electronic systems, has been carried out until now by means of vehicle data cards. These vehicle data cards are included with every vehicle delivery and must thereafter be kept and managed by the vehicle holder. The vehicle manufacturer retains a duplicate.
An electronic adjunct for automating the above-mentioned data cards in an electronic medium can be seen in the so-called electronic key which is produced by various car manufacturers. A suitable key with a data memory is disclosed in the specialist magazine "Impulse", No. 9/1990, issued by the Volkswagen Company.
Both the vehicle data card and the electronic key have the disadvantage that maintenance of the data carrier must essentially be carried out by the customer. These data cards are not always available when a customer service activity is carried out on the vehicle, since, in principle, neither is fixed to the vehicle.
German Patent Document DE-OS 3,926,097 describes a device for interrogating control apparatus data, such as diagnosis data or condition data, in which information on the type and number of control apparatuses present in the vehicle is stored at a central point, fixed to the vehicle. In this case, it is provided that a diagnostic apparatus initially interrogates this central point and, on the basis of data contained there in, then accesses the individual control apparatuses in an automatic sequence, or under manual control. Thus, without any prior knowledge of the type of test apparatuses installed in a vehicle, access to the test apparatuses can take place for the purpose of diagnosis. In this case, the central point may be implemented as an electronic memory which is preferably accommodated in one of the control apparatuses to be tested.
German Patent Document DE-PS 2,918,956 describes a test device for components and functions of motor vehicles having a computer. In this case, a further program module is additionally plugged onto a test apparatus having a read only program module.
The object of the invention is to create a device for the identification of vehicle and equipment features, whose data carrier requires no maintenance by the vehicle holder, which is reliably available for every customer service activity and which can easily be checked, together with contact elements to which an external diagnostic apparatus can be connected.
The present invention achieves this object by a device for the identification of vehicle and equipment features having at least one electronic memory of the EEPROM type in which digital data which can be allocated unambiguously to the vehicle and equipment features can be stored in a non-volatile manner. The memory is accommodated at a central point, fixed to the vehicle. The memory is accommodated on or in a diagnosis socket and is connected to a plurality of special identification contact elements of the diagnosis socket. Together with the contact elements, the memory is allocated as a unit to a first segment of a contact element support of the diagnosis socket, in that the contact element support also comprises at least one second element which supports a plurality of diagnosis contact elements that are connected to control apparatuses in the vehicle. On the diagnosis socket, which is expediently blocked, at least the first segment having the memory is replaceable.
The device essentially comprises a non-volatile electronic read/write memory circuit (EEPROM) which is arranged fixed to the vehicle and can be read via a diagnosis socket by an external apparatus which is to be connected to the vehicle. The memory is initially written in the factory during production of the vehicle, and then reflects the original delivery condition of the vehicle, including all the individual additional equipment. The apparatus which is to be connected to the vehicle may be a normal customer-service diagnostic apparatus. Using such an apparatus, the memory may be read before every customer-service activity. In addition, during installation or modification of the special equipment of the vehicle, the contents of the memory may be overwritten, i.e., modified or updated, by such an apparatus. The simplification for the customer is that he no longer has to keep, maintain and have available a vehicle data card nor any other loose electronic medium for customer-service requirements.
According to the present invention, the memory is accommodated on or in the diagnosis socket, is connected to a plurality of special identification contact elements of the diagnosis socket and, together with said elements, is allocated as a unit to a first segment of the contact element support of the diagnosis socket. The segment, together with the memory, can be replaced as a unit on the socket, which is expediently blocked. The other contact elements, which are connected to control apparatuses in the vehicle, are allocated to a second segment of the contact element support.
The memory can thus be detached from the vehicle without having to gain access to the control apparatuses. In the case of doubts on the validity or freedom from errors of the memory, this can simply be tested outside the vehicle. Since, in this case, the same contact elements are used as when the memory is interrogated by an external diagnostic apparatus, any contacting errors between the memory and the contact elements in the segment of the diagnosis socket which normally communicates only with a diagnostic apparatus do not remain undetected.
Further advantages are disclosed in the preferred embodiments of the device. Accordingly, a semiconductor chip, such as an EEPROM chip, may be used as the memory. The chip is mechanically and electrically connected to a film-like or foil-like, partially-metallized substrate, as is known from the technology of electronic credit cards and data cards. To this extent--with only a minor modification in the contacting--the subregion of the film circuit of an electronic credit card or data card, supporting a suitable card memory or its connecting contacts, for example, can be used directly. In consequence, such a memory can be integrated in a highly compact manner in a diagnosis socket. As a result of the use of such memory chips, which are produced reliably and cost-effectively in mass-produced batches and are already connected and pre-contacted on a film or on a foil, very high reliability is achieved both from the mechanical point of view as well as from the point of view of data errors, with low costs.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.